World’s Second Richest Man Thinks You Should Only Be Working Three Days a Week

You’re working too much. Everyone in the world has certainly had that thought before. Somewhat shockingly, a billionaire 1-percenter actually agrees with you. Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, the world’s second richest person, thinks you should be working far less—try three days a week. There is, of course, a tradeoff; with people living longer you’re also going to have to work until later in life, Slim says. “People are going to have to work for more years, until they are 70 or 75, and just work three days a week – perhaps 11 hours a day,” Slim says.

“With three work days a week, we would have more time to relax; for quality of life. Having four days [off] would be very important to generate new entertainment activities and other ways of being occupied.”

The 74-year-old self-made magnate believes that such a move would generate a healthier and more productive labour force, while tackling financial challenges linked to longevity. He is putting his money where his mouth is. In his Telmex fixed-line phone company in Mexico, where workers on a collective labour contract who joined the company in their late teens are eligible to retire before they are 50, he has instituted a voluntary scheme allowing such workers to keep working, on full pay, but for only four days a week.